Iran pushed back against Donald Trump’s assertion that the U.S. has "complete control" of the Strait of Hormuz, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling the claim "fake intelligence" and warning Washington against another misreading of Iran. In posts and comments published on August 13, Araghchi said the U.S. had a long record of intelligence failures on Iran and suggested the strait was now becoming the latest example. Hossein Taeb, commander of Iran’s Basij militia, separately said the Strait of Hormuz remained under the "management and control" of the Islamic Republic and, according to Fars News Agency, accused the U.S. of trying to trigger another conflict there to weaken Iran’s regional backing. The exchange highlights renewed rhetorical tension around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital oil shipping chokepoint (narrow maritime passage), after Trump said a day earlier on Truth Social that the U.S. would maintain control of the waterway and made sweeping claims about Iran’s military, finances and leadership.